20 Cheap and Fun Dates To Do in Charlotte This Winter

It’s cold, it’s getting dark at 5:30pm, your bank account is drained from the holidays, and you're yelling at Netflix because of course you're still watching. The cold embrace of winter mixed with a holiday hangover can be anything but romantic, but it doesn't have to be. Charlotte has plenty of date night options that are equal parts affordable and unique. They’ll leave you excited to put on actual pants, turn off the TV, and venture out of your house for a wintertime adventure. Here are the best -- and most affordable -- Charlotte date ideas for this winter.

related

Uptown
From 5pm-9pm on Wednesdays, the Mint Museum’s Uptown location offers free entry to its galleries. And there are many. The museum is 145,000 square feet, with five stories of exhibits. If you can't find something to talk about here, hopefully you're incredibly good looking.

Montford
Jeff’s Bucket Shop, a Montford staple, is the requisite spot to let your inner Hootie shine through. It's been called the best karaoke in Charlotte, and every night there's good drink specials (cheap PBRs and $5 Fireball shots) to give you some liquid courage before belting out Darius Rucker's cover of "Wagon Wheel." Karaoke is free to perform, but expect a crowd.

Various locations citywide
On January 13, volunteer organization Hands on Charlotte honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by organizing a citywide day of service. Spend quality time with your date and do some good at the same time.

Bojangles Coliseum
Charlotte Checkers games are a blast as is, but when you factor $1 beers into the equation, the experience is obviously better. It’s happening on January 17, February 14 (what a way to celebrate Valentine’s Day!) and March 14, so snag your tickets to those games to take advantage of the deal. Tickets start at just $15.

NoDa
NoDa’s Abari Game Bar is hosting the North Carolina State Pinball Championship on January 20, with the winner of that heading to Nationals in Las Vegas. Head over to cheer on the competitors, and use it as inspiration to return with a bag of quarters to see if you’ve got any hidden pinball talent yourself. Loser buys drinks.

LoSo
Brunching every weekend is costly, but Red Clay Ciderworks has a unique option to counter that. From noon until two on January 21, stop in and enjoy PepperBox Donuts, plus eats from local food truck Queen City Sliders. It’s totally free, but you’ll definitely want to buy a couple of hot mulled ciders to wash it down.

Elizabeth
Since 1985, Cajun Queen has brought authentic New Orleans cuisine to Charlotte. Situated in a 100-year-old house, the restaurant serves up reasonably priced dishes like étouffée and shrimp and grits (entrees start at $17.95), as well as live jazz seven nights a week. It’s dinner and a concert combined. And be sure to ask to be seated in the band room when you make your reservation. It's the move (plus your date will think you're super cool and understand jazz).

South Park
Kindles are convenient, but there’s something special about holding a book in your hand. If your date loves to read, take them to Park Road Books (in the Park Road Shopping Center) to browse the shelves for their next favorite pick. The store also hosts book signings and readings. On January 25, author Brett Ingram will be there.

Avidxchange Music Factory
If the two of you are are usually in a rush to get out the door as soon as the alarm blasts, try something different with CreativeMornings. The free monthly speaker series (don’t forget to reserve your tickets online in advance) gets your day off to an inspired start and leaves you with more to talk about at dinner that night than the usual, “So, how was work? Is your cousin Tevin coming over for dinner this weekend?” The theme of the February 2 event is "curiosity." Now you're curious, aren't you?

Montford
You think you have eclectic taste in music, but Angry Ale’s music trivia (which happens Tuesdays-Thursdays at 8:30pm) will test that assumption and help secure your bragging rights. Rounds will cover Justin Bieber to Journey and everything in between. Grab a few of your favorite musically inclined friends, create a cool name like "Eddy Money For Nothin'," and don't come in last. Especially if you use that team name.

Elizabeth
First thing's first… if you sign up for a membership here and use the code "THRILLIST," it'll only cost you $5. And you'll make that money back immediately as you can score free pizza on Fridays at 7pm from Pizza Peel. So come on down, grab a table, and use some billiard nomenclature like "break," "rack," "corner pocket," and "what? I totally meant to miss that pocket."

Plaza Midwood
If your honey bear boo boo thang is hoping for a different way to celebrate the holiday, Bring Your Own Vinyl night at Petra’s Bar in Plaza Midwood is the perfect evening out. Bring in your most treasured vinyls and the DJ will spin them for you. And at the end of the night, you'll leave with a whole queue of love songs for next year.

Plaza Midwood
Bowling is fun. Throwing darts is neato. But you know what’s even better? Tossing large wooden axes at an even larger wooden target. It's all possible at Lumberjaxe, Charlotte’s first axe-throwing facility. This is sure to be different than any date night you’ve had recently. Lane rentals are $20 an hour.

Plaza Midwood
Speaking of vinyl, if BYOV night inspires some record player envy, head to Lunchbox Records on Central Avenue and beef up your collection. It doesn’t cost anything to look and you can always buy your sweetheart a used Scandal featuring Patty Smyth record for super cheap.

Uptown
You don’t want to sit at home on the weekends, but going out gets expensive... especially if you’re headed to spots with hefty cover charges or have impulsive spending issues. Mix it up with a visit to dueling piano bar Howl at the Moon, where talented musicians crush your favorite sing-along worthy songs. There’s no cover, and the bar regularly has drink specials like $3 Bud Lights on Thursdays.

Eastway
Why rewatch the same show you’ve already seen 12 times on TNT when you can learn something new at the Charlotte Museum of History? The museum is the steward of the Hezekiah Alexander Homesite, which is the oldest house in Mecklenburg County. Alexander was a framer of North Carolina’s Constitution and Bill of Rights. When you’re there, check out their Charlotte’s Road to Revolution exhibit (good for knowledge… and trivia questions!). Entry is $10.

related

related

LoSo
You love to drink them -- now take a peek behind the curtain (or giant copper vat) and see how your favorite beers are made. Olde Mecklenburg Brewery offers free tours every Saturday at 2pm, 2:30pm, 3pm, 3:30pm, and 4:40pm. No need to register; just show up.

Uptown
Decompressing over a glass of wine is the perfect way to unwind with your side piece after a long day of work. But it’s time to add a little color to your next date night. Every Wednesday, Coco and the Director in Uptown offers Wine 'n' Color Wednesday at 5pm. Grab a $5 glass of select wine, pastries at half price, plus a coloring sheet and some colored pencils. Then it’s time to let your inner Picasso shine. If you’re proud of your work, enter it for a chance to win a free coffee. You better bring it -- people love coffee.

Midtown
Show up hungry when you head to Pisces, because Monday-Saturday from 11:30am-2:30pm is all-you-can-eat sushi. It costs just $11 to stack plate after plate with no shame as you enjoy some mid-workday time with your number one.

Sign up here for our daily Charlotte email and be the first to get all the food/drink/fun in the Queen City.

Lauren Levine is a freelance writer who has contributed to publications and websites including The Charlotte Observer, U.S. News & World Report, American Way magazine, The Huffington Post, Hello Giggles, Bustle, Thrillist, Thought Catalog, and others. Check out her podcast, The Margarita Confessionals, and say hi on Twitter. She's @lifewithlauren1.

A Survival Guide for Charlotte's Weird Weather

Charlotte weather has always been a bit unpredictable. Hot one moment, cold the next; torrential downpours and flooding followed by sunshine and rainbows. The seasons are changing in the Queen City, but even if you're prepared for the uncertain Charlotte weather there are forces at work against you.

Charlotte's oft-failing infrastructure and way of doing things can feel as old as the city itself. Additionally, Charlotte is located in Mecklenburg County, which is an enormous 546 square miles. This makes it tricky to provide services where they're really necessary -- especially when it snows.

In 2004, the entire county had about two snow plows. That was the year that nearly 2ft of snow fell in parts of Mecklenburg County. Needless to say, the city was at a standstill. Since then we have increased our number of plows, but they're still not at a number to best serve a county our size. At the same time, there may be only 1in of snow on the ground in South End and 7in of snow on the ground in Cornelius. Yet school closures are made for the entire county.

Our lovely tree-lined streets can be as treacherous as they are welcoming. Whether diseased or suffering from a cankerworm infestation (yuck), it seems when the winds pick up and the storms come in, trees inevitably fall. Sometimes our county takes care of these issues, but it is mostly up to property owners (pro tip: check up on the trees in your yard or near you and trim branches regularly).

The population of Charlotte is estimated to grow by 21% by 2030 -- will the Queen City take care of its trees, increase the number of plow trucks, or update the poor drainage and road conditions that cause many area roads to flood during storms? We don't have the answers, but we do know how you can stay sane during one of the sure-to-happen crazy Charlotte weather events. Be safe and smart out there… and make sure to always have bread, a flashlight, and bourbon on hand no matter the situation.

David VonDerLinn

Sponsored

8 Cultural Activities To Class Up Your LA Weekend

Sure, it’s great to spend your weekends watching Marvel movies and DVRing Vanderpump Rules on the DL. But sometimes, you want to do something a little more refined. A little more elegant. Perhaps, you’d like to partake in an activity with a little... culture.

If the last “art” exhibit you liked was a beauty influencer's Instagram, it might be time to break out of your routine and tour some of the cultural highlights of Southern California. Luckily, Los Angeles is surrounded by lovely locales that offer the chance to experience fine art, dance, film, and history, all while taking a break from the city. So, plan a weekend day away and visit one of these cultural gems just outside of LA.

Switch Up Your Night Out With Charlotte's Lesser-Known Nightlife

We understand that you can only take a Saturday night at the EpiCentre so many times. We also get that, while the upstairs of Connolly’s may never get old, sometimes a new setting is needed to refresh your outlook on Charlotte. Think outside the box and enjoy some of the city’s lesser-known nightlife -- we won’t mind if you tell a friend or three.

NoDa/South End
Everything you’ll see at these shows is unrehearsed, unscripted, and steered by audience suggestions. (Plus, proceeds benefit local charities.) Find the Improv Charlotte team eliciting laughs at UpStage on the first Friday of every month, or on the third Saturday of every month at Charlotte Art League in South End.